Overview
Discover outback, woodland, wetlands and wildlife on Cuttaburra scenic drive, near Bourke. This 4WD touring loop is a great way to explore the wide, open landscapes of Cuttaburra National Park.
- Where
- Cuttaburra National Park in Outback NSW
- Distance
- 38km of trails
- Time suggested
- 3-4 hr
- Opening times
Cuttaburra National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
- What to
bring - Gps, spare fuel, satellite phone, drinking water, food supplies, hat, sunscreen, snacks
- Please note
- The weather can be extreme and unpredictable. Check with the NPWS Bourke office or Bourke Shire Council for the latest road condition report before you set out.
- Roads to and in Cuttaburra National Park are unsealed and can be closed due to wet weather. Don’t drive on closed roads – fines apply.
- Bring extra food, drinking water and firewood in case you need to spend the night at the campground.
- The nearest fuel is at Bourke, 155km away. There is also fuel at The Royal Mail Hotel, Hungerford Qld 97km away.
Explore Cuttaburra National Park in an unforgettable journey along Cuttaburra scenic drive. This 38 km network, which includes 2 loops and multiple offshoot tracks, is a great way to see Paroo and Warrego River Country, 155 km northwest of Bourke.
This rugged and remote park is beautiful but very susceptible to weather so parts of the track may close at times. If you’re towing a caravan you’ll need leave it at Comeroo campground where the loop starts and ends.
As you drive, watch the view shift between grasslands, sand dunes, shrubland plains, rocky mulga covered hills, floodplains and claypans. If you're visiting after rain, you'll see how it brings life to the floodplains with feathered visitors. Look out for colourful flocks of migrating pink cockatoos, budgerigars, and zebra finches. Rain also blankets the landscape with wildflowers like paper daisies and goodenias. It’s not uncommon to spot red kangaroos and emus among a palette of pink, lilac and yellow flowering plants.
You can see Cuttaburra Creek and Maranoa Waterhole year-round. These areas are home to birds like egrets, spoonbills and kingfishers. If you’re lucky, you might spot the threatened brolga with its distinctive orange head.
Beyond the water, you’ll find woodlands. In late autumn to early spring, they’re dotted with the white and yellow blossoms of desert bloodwood and yapunyah gum trees.
It will take 3 to 4 hours to drive the entire network with stops for birdwatching or pictures. After your adventure, return to Comeroo campground for a night under a canopy of stars.
Also see
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Comeroo campground
Tucked beneath the coolibah trees beside a tranquil outback waterhole, Comeroo campground offers a peaceful escape for 4WD explorers venturing beyond Bourke.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/4wd-touring-routes/cuttaburra-scenic-drive/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Cuttaburra National Park in the Outback NSW region
Cuttaburra National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Cuttaburra scenic drive.
Getting there and parking
Cuttaburra National Park is located around 155 km northwest of Bourke and 100 km southeast of Hungerford.
From Bourke:
Access is via unsealed roads and road conditions may vary. Please check local conditions and road closures with Bourke Shire Council.
Via Yantabulla:
- From North Bourke travel northwest on The Dowling Track (Hungerford Rd) (MR404) towards Hungerford.
- At Fords Bridge continue straight ahead on the Dowling Track to Yantabulla (MR404).
- After Yantabulla turn right onto Burrawantie Road (RLR27).
- Once you enter Cuttaburra National Park the campground turn-off is 1.9 km on the left.
Via Ellavale:
- From North Bourke travel northwest on The Dowling Track (Hungerford Rd) (MR404) towards Hungerford.
- At Fords Bridge turn right onto Ellavale Road (RLR-24).
- After 32 km the road turns left and becomes Mascot Road (RLR-26).
- Once you enter Cuttaburra National Park turn right at the T-Junction of Burrawantie Road (RLR27).
- The campground turn-off is 1.8 km on the left.
Via Enngonia:
- From Bourke travel north on the Mitchell Highway (B71) towards Cunnamulla for 91km.
- At Enngonia turn left onto McCabe Street.
- After 260m McCabe St become Burrawantie Road (RLR27).
- Travel along Burrawantie Road for 30km. Once you enter Cuttaburra. National Park the campground turn-off is 17km on the right.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads may become impassable, even with light rainfall. After rain, affected unsealed roads within the park and Bourke Shire will close.
- Be prepared to leave early if rain is forecast or wait until roads reopen. Do not drive on closed roads.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- All roads require 4WD vehicle
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Facilities
- Comeroo campground has untreated rainwater and bore water. It’s a good idea to bring your own drinking water.
- There are no bins so you’ll need to take all rubbish away with you.
- There is no mobile reception.
Maps and downloads
Permitted
Cycling
Prohibited
Gathering firewood
Pets
Smoking
Learn more
Cuttaburra scenic drive is in Cuttaburra National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
A biodiversity oasis
Cuttaburra National Park features a patchwork of landscapes, from tree-lined river floodplains and swamps to claypans, grasslands, shrubland plains, and rocky mulga-covered hills. It’s home to 292 native plant species, 109 birds, 22 reptiles, 13 frogs, and 14 native mammals. Threatened species found here include the stripe-faced dunnart, eastern fat-tailed gecko, black-breasted buzzard, and hooded robin.
Birdwatchers of all levels will find a vibrant mix of wetland, woodland, and grassland birds – common and rare, large and small, gregarious and colourful. And for those up for a challenge, see if you can identify the difference between the park’s many little brown birds.
- Cuttaburra scenic drive Discover outback, woodland, wetlands and wildlife on Cuttaburra scenic drive, near Bourke. This 4WD touring loop is a great way to explore the wide, open landscapes of Cuttaburra National Park.
Aboriginal connections
Cuttaburra National Park sits in the heart of Paroo River and Warrego River Country, a place with deep cultural significance for Aboriginal people. The park and nearby areas are believed to hold very high Aboriginal heritage value. Aboriginal people likely lived and travelled widely across this land, and many cultural items have been found here, including wells, waterholes, artefact scatters, scar trees and stone arrangements.
- Cuttaburra scenic drive Discover outback, woodland, wetlands and wildlife on Cuttaburra scenic drive, near Bourke. This 4WD touring loop is a great way to explore the wide, open landscapes of Cuttaburra National Park.
Where yapunyah trees glow
Take a drive through golden groves of yapunyah woodland. These native eucalyptus trees are a photographer’s dream, with their striking mix of dark, rough bark and smooth, reddish branches. In winter, yapunyah bursts into bloom, adding vibrant colour to the landscape and releasing rich nectar that attracts insects and birds like honeyeaters. You’ll mostly find yapunyah in Australia’s inland and arid or semi-arid regions. In NSW, it grows mainly near the Warrego and Paroo rivers.
- Cuttaburra scenic drive Discover outback, woodland, wetlands and wildlife on Cuttaburra scenic drive, near Bourke. This 4WD touring loop is a great way to explore the wide, open landscapes of Cuttaburra National Park.
Life along the water
The park is named after Cuttaburra Creek, which is one continuous waterway that flows through the middle of the park after rain. When the creek dries up it retracts into a chain of separate waterholes, known as a chain of ponds, including Maranoa Waterhole and Cumeroo Waterhole.
The creek lies within the Cuttaburra Basin, an integral part of the Paroo and Warrego floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin’s northern region. During large floods, floodwaters travel vast distances from the headwaters in central-west Queensland to reach this area. Though rainfall is erratic in this region, leading to long periods of dryness, the Cuttaburra Basin plays a vital role in connecting these two outback rivers when floodwaters arrive.
- Cuttaburra scenic drive Discover outback, woodland, wetlands and wildlife on Cuttaburra scenic drive, near Bourke. This 4WD touring loop is a great way to explore the wide, open landscapes of Cuttaburra National Park.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Southern boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae)
The southern boobook, also known as the mopoke, is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia. With a musical 'boo-book' call that echoes through forests and woodlands, the southern boobook is a great one to look out for while bird watching.
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Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)
With a wingspan of up to 2.5m, the wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey. These Australian animals are found in woodlands across NSW, and have the ability to soar to heights of over 2km. If you’re bird watching, look out for the distinctive diamond-shaped tail of the eagle.
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Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
The curious pelican is Australia’s largest flying bird and has the longest bill of any bird in the world. These Australian birds are found throughout Australian waterways and the pelican uses its throat pouch to trawl for fish. Pelicans breed all year round, congregating in large colonies on secluded beaches and islands.
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Eastern blue-tongue lizard (Tiliqua scinciodes)
The eastern blue-tongue lizard, one of the largest skinks in Australia, is found throughout most of NSW. When threatened, the eastern blue-tongue lizard displays its blue tongue in a wide-mouthed intimidating show. Not an agile animal, they feed on slow-moving beetles and snails.
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Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
The largest of Australian birds, the emu stands up to 2m high and is the second largest bird in the world, after the ostrich. Emus live in pairs or family groups. The male emu incubates and rears the young, which will stay with the adult emus for up to 2 years.
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Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Of the 2 species of kookaburra found in Australia, the laughing kookaburra is the best-known and the largest of the native kingfishers. With its distinctive riotous call, the laughing kookaburra is commonly heard in open woodlands and forests throughout NSW national parks, making these ideal spots for bird watching.
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Peron's tree frog (Litoria peroni)
Peron’s tree frog is found right across NSW. These tree-climbing and ground-dwelling Australian animals can quickly change colour, ranging from pale green-grey by day, to a reddish brown with emerald green flecks at night. The male frog has a drill-like call, which has been described as a 'maniacal cackle’.
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Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
The red kangaroo is one of the most iconic Australian animals and the largest marsupial in the world. Large males have reddish fur and can reach a height of 2m, while females are considerably smaller and have blue-grey fur. Red kangaroos are herbivores and mainly eat grass.
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Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
One of only 2 egg-laying mammals in the world, the short-beaked echidna is one of the most widespread of Australian native animals. Covered in spines, or quills, they’re equipped with a keen sense of smell and a tube-like snout which they use to break apart termite mounds in search of ants.
Plants
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Billy buttons (Craspedia spp. )
Billy buttons are attractive Australian native plants that are widespread throughout eastern NSW in dry forest, grassland and alpine regions such as Kosciuszko National Park. The golden-yellow globe-shaped flowers are also known as woollyheads. Related to the daisy, billy buttons are an erect herb growing to a height of 50cm.
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Mulga (Acacia aneura)
Mulga are hardy Australian native plants found throughout inland Australia. With an unusually long tap root, the mulga is able to withstand long periods of drought.
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River red gum (Eucalpytus camaldulensis)
Australian native plants, majestic river red gum trees are widespread across Australian inland river systems. The river red gum is a dominant tree species of the Murray-Darling basin which spans NSW, Queensland and Victoria. This iconic native eucalypt grows to a height of 30m and is thought to have a lifespan up to 500-1000 years.
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Saltbush (Atriplex nummularia)
A hardy Australian native plant, the saltbush is a small spreading shrub that can withstand dry salty soils such as those found in the desert plains of western NSW. It is grey-white in colour and has small spear-shaped succulent leaves. It flowers from December to April.